January 29, 2004

Saudi Arabia Bans Chicken From Bird Flu Hit Countries

Saudi Arabia suspended the import of poultry products from six Asian countries that have suffered outbreaks of bird flu, the Agricultural Ministry said Wednesday.

The ban includes eggs and all live birds from South Korea, Thailand, China, Japan, Vietnam and Pakistan, the ministry said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency said.

Bird flu has infected poultry farms in at least 10 Asian countries. Two women in Vietnam succumbed to the disease Wednesday, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight in Vietnam and two in Thailand.

The European Union banned imports from Thailand last week. Kuwait, Jordan and Sri Lanka banned poultry imports from several affected countries on Tuesday.

Although there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission, health officials are concerned that the virus might mix with a strain of human influenza to create a mutant form that could trigger the next pandemic of human flu.